Tea Sets
1910s French Renaissance Vintage Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stainless Steel, Chrome
Late 18th Century Chinese Chinese Export Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Japanese Taisho Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s Italian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century English High Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
19th Century Chinese Other Antique Tea Sets
Silver
1930s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
Mid-20th Century English Japonisme Tea Sets
Porcelain
2010s French Tea Sets
Earthenware
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Tea Sets
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1840s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
20th Century North American Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 2000s Italian Rococo Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1970s German Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
1980s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Moorish Tea Sets
Metal, Silver Plate, Brass
1960s Vintage Tea Sets
Silver
20th Century Persian Tea Sets
Silver
1880s English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Antique Tea Sets
Pottery
19th Century French Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain, Paste
1960s German Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1880s Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1930s English Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Pottery
2010s Italian Modern Tea Sets
Stone, Silver, Silver Plate, Brass
20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
20th Century Italian Post-Modern Tea Sets
Brass
1870s American Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Italian Post-Modern Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Porcelain
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Brass, Stainless Steel
Early 1900s Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Ceramic
1970s Vintage Tea Sets
Glass
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Japanese Tea Sets
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tea Sets
Brass, Gold Plate
20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 1900s German Art Deco Antique Tea Sets
Bronze
20th Century Tea Sets
Porcelain
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Tea Sets
Silver, Sterling Silver
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
Early 1800s English George III Antique Tea Sets
Copper
Early 1900s Danish Art Nouveau Antique Tea Sets
Silver Plate
1970s Korean Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Stainless Steel
Early 1800s English George III Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
1740s English Rococo Antique Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Victorian Antique Tea Sets
Gold, Silver
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Faience, Earthenware
Late 18th Century Japanese Antique Tea Sets
Enamel, Copper
Early 20th Century Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Tea Sets
Porcelain
1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tea Sets
Porcelain
1950s Vintage Tea Sets
Terracotta
Antique, New and Vintage Tea Sets
Ready to serve high tea and brunch for your family and friends? Start with the right antique, new or vintage tea set.
Tea is a multicultural, multinational beverage and isn’t confined to any particular lifestyle or age group. It has humble beginnings, and one of its best-known origin stories places the first cups of tea in 2700 B.C. in China, where it was recognized for its medicinal properties. Jump ahead to 17th-century England, when Chinese tea began to arrive at ports in London. During the early 1800s, tea became widely affordable, and the concept of teatime took shape all over England. Today, more than 150 million people reportedly drink tea daily in the United States.
Early tea drinkers enjoyed their beverage in a bowl, and English potters eventually added a handle to the porcelain bowls so that burning your fingers became less of a teatime hazard. With the rise in the popularity of teatime, tea sets, also referred to as tea service, became a hot commodity.
During Queen Victoria’s reign, teakettles and coffeepots were added to tea services that were quite large — indeed, small baked goods were served with your drink back then, and a tea set could include many teacups and saucers, a milk pot and other accessories.
During the early 1920s, a sterling-silver full tea service and tray designed by Tiffany & Co. might include a hot-water kettle on a stand, a coffeepot, teapot, a creamer with a small lip spout, a waste bowl and a bowl for sugar, which the British were stirring into tea as early as the 18th century.
But you don’t have to limit your tea set to Victorian or Art Deco styles — shake up teatime with an artful contemporary service. If the bold porcelain cups and saucers by Italian brand Seletti are too unconventional for your otherwise subdued tea circle, find antique services on 1stDibs from Japan, France and other locales as well as vintage mid-century modern tea sets and neoclassical designs.